


Love and Satiety

by CyanoDrake



Category: Uta no Prince-sama
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, First Kiss, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Human/Vampire Relationship, M/M, Romance, Vampire Ai
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:01:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28286664
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CyanoDrake/pseuds/CyanoDrake
Summary: Ranmaru didn't think vampires existed, and he would have never guessed he would end up as a blood donor to one of them. But then, he was more than happy to make sure that one wouldn't go hungry.
Relationships: Kurosaki Ranmaru/Mikaze Ai
Comments: 2
Kudos: 16





	Love and Satiety

**Author's Note:**

> This is a Secret Santa gift to Frost. Happy Holidays, buddy! I noticed you mention you wanted to read an utapri vampire au fic, so I decided to write you one. This one was outside my comfort zone, but I had lots of fun with it.
> 
> Thank you Circe and Endy for hosting!

Ranmaru had always thought vampires were just folklore. But there he was, one of them sitting by his side on the couch once again. Eager cyan eyes were fixated on Ranmaru as he rolled up his long sleeve. 

Ranmaru offered him his arm with the same tranquility as if he were about to get a blood sample drawn for some mundane test. The vampire held said arm with cold but soft hands and brought his mouth to it, fangs piercing the flesh. Ranmaru felt a sharp pain for a moment, but it soon faded into a pleasant warmth as usual.

He had first met Ai while playing bass for tips near the local college campus about a year ago. He just had to ask the name of the guy with the parasol who regularly stopped for a minute to listen to his music and always left some change in his bass case. 

Ai was even generous enough to treat him to a meal once. While they ate, he told Ranmaru he was a psychology student and also enjoyed music as a hobby. Making a living of music was hard work and he admired those who chose that path.

Just a couple of days later, when Ranmaru was walking home late at night after a gig that kept him for longer than planned, he heard labored breathing and pained moans coming from a dark alley. Being the only one around in that quiet street, he took a careful peek to see Ai sitting on the ground curled up in a fetal position and shaking like a leaf. 

He faced Ranmaru with a distorted expression the latter couldn’t quite read and yelled at him to go away. Ranmaru obviously didn’t, as he couldn't just leave someone who looked so distressed alone, and the result was Ai lunging at him with long, sharp fangs out. 

Ranmaru was so shocked he couldn’t bring himself to do or say anything until a tearful Ai was apologizing profusely and pressing a handkerchief against the bloody punctures on the side of the other’s neck. 

Ai explained one of his blood donors had just moved out of town and he didn't want to risk feeding on the other one who was currently ill and making them worse; he thought he could have endured the hunger for a little longer until he found someone else. 

Maybe because he was still in a daze from suddenly finding out vampires existed or because the blood loss affected his judgment, Ranmaru ended up volunteering to be his new blood donor. He didn’t regret it though. It wouldn’t have been wise to let Ai go hungry and end up attacking someone again. And vamp bites didn’t hurt nearly as much as he would have imagined, and neither left him anemic anyway.

They ended up becoming friends. Ai would always bring snacks on his weekly visits to Ranmaru’s apartment and spend some time hanging out. Ranmaru was amazed at how intelligent Ai was, talking about the most varied topics with so much confidence. Yet, he had a child-like gleam in his eyes while playing with the cats that kept showing up in the apartment and whenever Ranmaru shared some new treat with him. He was… cute?

Yes. Ranmaru couldn’t deny Ai was cute. Adorable, even.

Ai was now taking his time feeding on Ranmaru, who couldn’t take his eyes off him while he sucked his blood. That sight used to be kind of uncomfortable, but Ranmaru had eventually got used to it, and now he could watch it forever. Just when they ended up making eye contact, Ranmaru went to check his email on his phone with his free hand.

It seemed like Ai had been hungrier on his most recent visits, so Ranmaru wondered if he needed to take vitamins or something to make his blood more nutritious. 

Ai’s mouth left Ranmaru’s arm and the latter looked up from the screen to watch Ai apply pressure to the punctures with a piece of sterilized gauze to stem the bleeding, then spray them with an antiseptic solution and wrap them in bandages. But despite that ritual Ai insisted on, it was a matter of hours until there were no more traces of his bites.

“Do you feel alright? No dizziness, fatigue, or any other symptoms?” Ai asked as he placed the remaining bandages and the antiseptic solution back in the first aid kit. 

“Yeah, you know this is no big deal.” Ranmaru reached out to wipe a droplet of blood off the corner of Ai’s mouth with his thumb, causing him to blush a little. A vampire’s skin was always cold to the touch, but that didn’t bother Ranmaru. “You ok tho? You’ve been drinkin’ more than before.” He then wiped his thumb on the gauze Ai had used before he could throw it away.

“Oh… I’m sorry, I’ll be more careful.”

“I never said I had a problem with it, I just wanna know if there’s anything wrong.”

“No, it’s just that… your blood tastes really good.” Ai averted his gaze to the window being struck by rain, his cheeks still flushed. 

“Uh, really?” Ranmaru snorted. “Guess I’ll take that as a compliment.” 

“Don’t worry, I’m always going to make sure to take less than 10% of your total volume,” Ai reassured, facing him again.

“I know, I wouldn’t be still doin’ this if I didn’t trust you.” 

“You should eat now, I made you egg sandwiches.” Ai retrieved a plastic container from his bag and handed Ranmaru a sandwich from it after removing some of the tin foil covering it.

“Thanks.” He took a bite. The creamy egg filling was perfectly seasoned and the slices of ham and cucumber enclosing it created a great texture and additional flavor. “It’s pretty good. Would go great with a glass of juice.” He was about to get up when Ai gently pushed him back onto the couch. 

“I’ll get it for you, don’t move.” And with that, Ai left for the kitchen. He always fussed over Ranmaru like that right after feeding on him even though his donor felt just fine. Ranmaru wouldn’t admit it, but he sort of liked it. 

The rain outside became louder, that gave Ranmaru an idea that made his heart skip a beat. “The weather forecast was sayin’ it’s gonna rain cats and dogs all evening,” he started as Ai came back with his juice. “Wanna have a sleepover so you don’t have to go all the way back in this weather? It’s a weekend anyway.”

“A sleepover?” His eyes went wide in response. “But… I don’t even have my pajamas with me and I haven’t showered today yet...”

“You can borrow some of my clothes to sleep and I got a spare towel too, don’t worry.” Ranmaru had to stop himself from grinning like a Cheshire cat when he pictured Ai fresh out of the shower, wearing Ranmaru’s baggy striped hoodie that would probably look a bit oversized on Ai’s lean figure.

“Are you sure it won’t inconvenience you?”

“I wouldn't be invitin’ you if I didn’t want you here.” 

“Then I accept your invitation.” Ai showed a radiant smile. “Thank you, Ranmaru, that’s very considerate of you.”

It was Ranmaru’s turn to blush. Damn it, Ai’s compliments did things to him, especially with a smile like that. “It’s nothing.” He went back to enjoying his snack while Ai sat by his side again. “You can put some music on or turn on the tv if you want.”

Ai grabbed the remote from the arm of the couch and started browsing the tv channels. “I won’t pick any documentaries about flesh-eating parasites this time, I promise.”

Having finished his juice, Ranmaru placed the empty glass on the coffee table. “Good. Why did you even wanna know about those things?”

“I find their biology quite interesting, it’s fascinating how fly larvae can infest even unbroken skin or enter the host’s body through-”

“Shut up! I’m still eating, damn it!”

“Alright, I’ll resume my explanation once you’re done.” He gave Ranmaru a cheeky smile.

“No you won’t, pick something less gross to nerd out about.” Ranmaru ate the last bite of his sandwich once he was absolutely sure Ai had dropped the topic.

Ai settled for a fishing tv show. It looked like one of the more chill ones, featuring two middle-aged men on a boat in the sea. One of them explained how they were using stronger fishing rods and reels that time because swordfish can get pretty large.

“If I was one of those fish,” Ranmaru said as he leaned back on the couch, “I’d just spear the bait out of the hook and cut the line with the sword thing on my face.”

Ai chuckled. “If they did that, it would probably have stopped them from becoming an endangered species years ago before they recovered. A swordfish doesn’t use its bill as a spear, but it slashes it at prey to injure it. They have few predators, so it’s under dispute whether or not they also use their bills for self-defense.“

“Cool. What’s the difference between a swordfish and a marlin, by the way?” 

“Both swordfish and marlins belong in the billfish group, but they belong in different families. The swordfish is the only member of its family, but there are several species of marlins. The easiest way to tell them apart is by looking at the shape of the dorsal fin; swordfish have a shark-like fin, while a marlin…”

Ranmaru loved it when Ai gave him those little lectures. He would always catch himself thinking about how beautiful and unique Ai’s voice was. If he had decided to do music for a living like Ranmaru, that would have been a huge advantage. 

Ranmaru hoped he wouldn’t end up annoying Ai asking for more information on the fish the show’s hosts caught from time to time just to hear him speak. Probably not, sea life seemed to be one of the subjects Ai enjoyed the most and his tone was relaxed and had a hint of intellectual excitement. 

Ranmaru hadn’t realized he was so attracted to brainy guys before he got to know Ai. But well, he just loved everything about Ai. He wanted to monopolize those big expressive eyes, that angelic voice, that sweet smile...

He wanted to tell Ai how he felt, but he kept having second thoughts. The way he caught Ai staring at him from time to time gave him the impression Ai liked him too. 

But why had Ai never said anything? He was the type who didn’t hesitate speaking up his mind, so Ranmaru kind of expected Ai to admit it first. He was a perceptive one too, so he probably had also noticed Ranmaru had feelings for him. 

Maybe vampire-human romance was taboo and something awful would happen if they started going out. Ranmaru hoped not. Anyway, he knew he needed to spill the beans sooner or later. He would never know if he didn’t ask.

Just after the documentary was over and they watched two movies Ranmaru realized how fast time had passed. “We’ve been sitting here for a while now,” he told Ai as he got up. “I’ll go make some dinner. Wanna shower in the meantime?”

“Yes, I’d like to do it now.”

“Alright, I’m just gonna-” Ranmaru reached for the empty glass that was still on the coffee table, but somehow let it slip out of his grasp. He tried to catch it, but it still crashed on the floor. A shard flew up just high enough to cut the side of Ranmaru’s index finger, he clutched it and cursed under his breath. 

“Ranmaru!” Ai stood up and placed a hand on Ranmaru’s shoulder from behind. “Did you get glass in your hand?” 

“No, it just grazed me.” Turning around, he unwrapped the fingers around the wound to let Ai see it. 

Ai’s breath hitched and his pupils grew almost twice their size. He took Ranmaru’s hand in his and lifted it to bring the injured finger to his own mouth. Ranmaru wanted to ask what the hell was he doing, but the pain from the cut started turning into the same warm sensation he felt whenever Ai fed on him.

“It doesn’t hurt anymore, but you didn’t have to do something so-” something was off. Ai’s hands started trembling, his mouth watered around Ranmaru’s finger to the point Ranmaru expected him to drool. He wouldn’t move a muscle.

All because he was tasting blood?

“Ai… you’re still hungry?”

That question seemed to snap Ai out of that state. He broke up contact and staggered back. “Ah... I’m sorry…” His gaze dropped to the floor. “I…I can’t stay here.”

“Uh? What’s going on?”

“I’ll put your life in danger if I stay near you, I have to find a new blood donor.” He turned around, Ranmaru grabbed Ai’s arm before he could step away. “Ranmaru, I’m serious,” he tried to sound firm, but he wouldn’t even look the other in the eyes. “Let me go.”

A part of Ranmaru was scared. He remembered the first time Ai bit him, it wasn’t like what he was used to now. He remembered the horror that numbed his mind into not even trying to fight it. For fuck’s sake, they were prey and predator. Ranmaru didn’t even know any other vampires to confirm if they weren’t a lot more dangerous than Ai made it seem.

But he couldn’t help but trust Ai. He couldn’t help but be certain he was safe with Ai. His own self from just a couple of years ago would have called him crazy if he knew. But he couldn’t let Ai go. He wouldn’t. He knew he had to find out what was wrong.

“It’s late and raining, can’t you wait until tomorrow morning? You just fed, so it can’t be that bad, right?” Ranmaru pleaded, Ai still refused to answer. Since he got no response, Ranmaru continued, “so my blood’s not nourishing you enough, I thought that was the case. I still wanna keep hanging out with you though.”

“I-It might be better,” Ai said in a wavering voice, “if we don’t see each other anymore. You’re in danger, let me go.”

“Oh, don’t give me this shit! You’re gonna just act all cryptic now?” Ranmaru realized he was yelling and stopped himself before the neighbors decided to investigate. “This isn’t like you at all, at least don’t leave me in the dark. Please.” 

An uncomfortable pause ensued, only the sounds of the rain and the tv ads filled the air.

“When a vampire is in love with a human, ” Ai started explaining after a few seconds, still not facing Ranmaru, “they get hungrier for that human’s blood. The increased hunger is inversely proportional to how much the vampire acts on their feelings for that person...”

“Is that so?” Ranmaru felt his nerves uncoil. What a relief, he was already expecting the opposite of an explanation that puts an end to his worries. It was finally time to stop hiding his feelings. “Ai, look at me.”

Just as he did, Ranmaru cupped Ai’s cheek in his hand and leaned in to press his lips against Ai’s. Ai tensed up for a second and Ranmaru was ready to let him go from noticing that, but then he pressed his tongue against Ranmaru’s lips. Ranmaru opened his mouth and followed Ai’s pace. And damn, was it an intense pace.

Ai embraced Ranmaru and he retributed it by wrapping his arms around Ai’s waist. Ranmaru didn’t hold back on giving Ai what he needed so badly, just thinking of reassuring him there was no need to bear with that hunger anymore. Even though Ai’s lips were cold, Ranmaru felt warmer and warmer inside.

They were both short of breath when their lips finally came apart, but their bodies stayed together. Ai rested his head on Ranmaru’s shoulder.

“Why didn’t you say anything sooner, you idiot?” Ranmaru scolded. “I’ve had a crush on you for a while, you were starvin’ for nothing.” Despite his rough tone, he rubbed slow circles on Ai’s back as he spoke. 

“We don’t die from this, it wasn’t my life it was threatening. And I suspected you liked me too, but… Do you really want a relationship at this moment in your life? And one that could stress you out so much?”

“I don’t follow. What're you talkin’ about?”

“You still have to work many hours every day to support yourself, so you may not have so much time or energy for dating. And with me,” he raised his head to face Ranmaru, “there would be the pressure of giving me enough attention so I don’t end up taking too much of your blood. I understand if this isn't what you want.”

“It’s important to set time aside for the things that matter to you in life, spendin’ more time with you won’t be that much of a sacrifice. And I trust you, Ai, I’ve told you before. I know you’re not gonna hurt me, I just do.”

Ai’s face lit up with the most beautiful smile Ranmaru had seen yet. “Thank you, that means a lot to me.”

“It’s nothing.” He kissed Ai’s lips again, this time quick and chaste, before letting him go. “Now lemme just clean that up before one of us ends up stepping on glass.”

Ai stepped back so Ranmaru wasn’t trapped between him, the furniture and the shattered glass anymore. “Once you’re done, do you want to join me in the shower? I can wait until you’ve had dinner if you want to eat first.”

Ranmaru felt his face burn. “You almost ran away from me like two minutes ago and now you wanna shower together? Jeez, what’s this progression?”

“If we are in a romantic relationship now,” Ai spoke with a very serious expression, “it’s essential for us to be honest with each other about our wishes. I won’t hide anything from you anymore.”

“As if you ever needed that before as an excuse to talk with no filter.” Ranmaru walked away to go get a broom and a dustpan.

“If that’s too much,” Ai said as he followed Ranmaru “I’m fine with just cuddling later.”

He turned around to look at Ai. “I never said no.”

Ranmaru had sweet dreams that night, holding Ai in his arms after the rain lulled them both to sleep. He was glad to be in charge of not letting that adorable vampire go hungry again.


End file.
